Dieting to the Glory of God

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I first noticed it a couple of weeks ago. My social media feeds always contain a fair number of ads for diet apps (I am a woman over 50, after all), but suddenly they were there with every scroll. Intermittent fasting, the Mediterranean diet, calorie tracking, medication. A new year is coming, and many of us are adding “weight loss” to our list of resolutions.

Like many women of my generation, my relationship with food is complicated. And while I’m not so heavy that my health care providers lecture me, none of them would dissuade me from losing a few pounds.

My purpose is not to add more bricks to your backpack, especially since I haven’t done this well. But we also need to consider our true purpose for being here. We are to glorify God and enjoy him forever. To walk humbly with our God (Micah 6:8). Not to look a certain way.

There are often good reasons to diet. Some people need to make significant changes for their health. And all the diet options I listed above may have their place in certain situations. We are all different, and our bodies handle calories differently.

The woman carrying extra pounds might be living a healthy lifestyle, and the thin woman might have an unhealthy relationship with food. Or, the thin woman might be eating normally. It’s not something we can judge from looking at one another. And it’s often hard to be honest with ourselves.

What can we think about as we plan for the new year?

God Does Not Call Us to be a Certain Weight

We all know this, but it bears repeating. He calls us to be holy. He calls us to worship and serve. He calls us to be good stewards of our health. He calls us to bear each other’s burdens.

Eating less and exercising more might be the best way to achieve that. But if our motivation is just to look good and our calorie counting leaves us constantly distracted and irritable, it could be more of a hindrance than a help.

Food is a Gift to be Enjoyed

God didn’t have to make food taste good. And I’m sure I’m not alone by admitting that I have at times thought life would be easier if it didn’t taste so good.

The Bible is full of examples of feasting and enjoying food with others, but it also instructs us to be thoughtful of other’s needs. We need to be considerate of the person who is trying to make improvements to their health by not pushing them to “live a little.” At the same time, some of us need to learn to receive the good gift of food with gladness and enjoy the fellowship that flows from enjoying it with those we love.

Food is Intended to Nourish

I know this is true. But I find myself eating because I’m bored, stressed, or tired—not hungry. I often go past the line of “receiving the good gift with gladness” into self indulgence. It’s tricky when food is so plentiful and our lifestyle is so sedentary. My grandmothers were too busy drawing water, gathering eggs, and milking cows to worry about counting their steps. Nor did they have a 24-hour convenience store less than a mile away. But just because I can sit at my desk and eat as I work doesn’t mean I should. And I certainly need to find a better way to process my emotions than mindlessly eating chips as I fret.

Putting Dieting in its Place

My purpose is not to over-spiritualize dieting (or not dieting). But for me, I am realizing I look to food for answers because I start with the wrong questions. I have been at times guilty of gluttony and asceticism, vanity and self-loathing. None of those extremes honored God. None of them helped me serve him better.

I do need to get healthier, and the New Year is as good a time as any to start. But my reasons should be stewardship and service. If done well, it would likely result in a smaller size, but that should not be my ultimate goal.

God’s grace to all of us as we strive to serve him better. May he be an ever-present help as we prayerfully put food in its proper place.

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